It's a Beginning, Not an End
CHAPTER FOUR: IT'S A BEGINNING, NOT AN END River awoke a day later to find an Auroran woman sitting in a chair beside his bed. 'Thank goodness you are all right!' She said happily, when she saw him awake. 'My wife, the woman I was carrying, is she all right?' demanded River as he got out of bed. 'Where is she?' 'She is in the room next door,' answered the startled Auroran woman. Clearly see hadn't expected him to be able to get out of bed. 'But you should not be out -' She never got to finish her sentence for River had left the room, hurrying to the room next door where he found an abnormally pale Amy. 'Will she be all right?' River asked as he walked into the room, scaring everyone within, including Garth and Hammer. Storm immediately jumped off Amy's bed and walked sadly over to River and head butted his leg. River bent down and patted him. 'We don't know,' Hammer answered sadly. 'She might wake up and if she does, the poison that was in the Crawlers' - the creature we fought - claws will slowly kill her. For all we know she could get her strength back, but die two months later.' River stared at her before turning his gaze onto his beloved wife. He felt nothing. He was in shock. The shock that he would never see his wife's loving eyes, hear her beautiful laugh or see her caring smile ever again. He just couldn't - wouldn't believe it. He soon became aware of Hammer talking again. 'I've been meaning to ask you, by some miracle, you haven't happened to see an Albion Prince lately?' Hammer asked the Queen of Aurora. 'Young Prince Logan?' asked Queen Zenobia. 'Yes, have you seen him?' Hammer asked excitedly. River quickly looked up at Zenobia. His son was alive? 'Yes, he is currently playing with my five year old daughter, Kalin. Come, I will take you to him.' Zenobia said, leading the way out of the room. Storm remained by his mistress' side. Zenobia lead the group out onto the streets and pointed to a nearby fountain. Sitting on the fountain's edge was a little Auroran girl and none other than a laughing Logan. River couldn't believe it, and not because his son had made his first friend with someone his own age. No, he couldn't believe it because his son was alive and unharmed. By some miracle, Logan had survived. 'We found him wandering the desert, on the brink of death,' explained Zenobia. 'He was lucky to survive, though he has no memory of how he did.' 'We thank you for everything you have done for us,' muttered Garth, setting his eyes on his friend's son for the first time. He didn't look like Amy. In fact, he looked like...Reaver. No, he had to be mistaken. The child was a distance away after all. They continued to watch the two children and, as though he could feel their eyes on him, Logan looked over at them. His eyes first landed on Zenobia. Logan liked Zenobia for she reminded him of his own mother, though she was nowhere near as beautiful or selfless. The other lady Logan recognised from pictures in tales of the Lucien's downfall. She was Hammer, the Hero of Strength. Logan couldn't believe that he was actually seeing her in person. Did she come to Aurora after the Spire? Logan eventually forced his eyes away from the big strong woman and looked at the dark skinned man with Will lines standing next to her...Garth, the Hero of Will. What chance was there of seeing two famous Heroes in one day? Yet again, Logan had to force his eyes away from the Hero and when he looked at the other man he gasped and ran towards him, with a startled Kalin following him. Logan couldn't believe it! He was here! His father was here in Aurora! He hadn't expected to see him so soon. The Aurorans had only sent word to Albion the other day. 'Daddy!' yelled Logan, when he was only a few metres away. 'Daddy! 'Daddy! You're here!' he exclaimed, jumping into his father's open arms. 'Yes, I'm here,' laughed River as he spun his giggling, happy son around. 'Thank goodness you are all right!' he added, kissing his son. 'I'm fine, Daddy. Zenobia has taken good care of me.' said Logan, smiling over at his friend's mother. 'Daddy?' repeated a shocked Hammer. 'You're his father!' 'If I wasn't, why would he call me "daddy"?' grinned River. 'But... I thought that River was his father! And why would Sparrow sleep with you, Reaver?' she demanded. 'Why did you call Daddy "Reaver"?' asked a confused Logan. 'Because - that's his name,' stammered Hammer. She was startled by the child's question. 'No it's not. Daddy's name is River.' 'No,' Hammer gasped as she realised the truth. 'Yes,' River said calmly, showing her his left hand. On his ring finger was a golden ring with the words "My Thief" engraved on it. 'I-I can't believe it!' gasped Hammer. 'Have you been wearing that ever since our "reunion" in the Spire?' 'Yes.' 'I never noticed it before! How could I not notice something like that?' 'Maybe because you see me as the same pirate you met twenty-seven years ago.' River said wisely. Logan watched the entire exchange with a frown on his face. Why did Hammer believe his father's name was "Reaver" and why did his father call himself a pirate? Logan was about to ask his father about this when a new thought popped into his head. 'Daddy, where's Mummy?' River paled. How was he supposed to explain to his son about Amy's current situation? He didn't want to worry and scare his son. In the end, he decided to tell Logan the truth, or at least part of the truth. 'Logan, Mummy is -' '- waiting for a hug,' interrupted Amy as she walked confidently towards them. River noticed that she still looked pale and weak. He couldn't believe that she was up and walking around. Then again, she had cheated death a number of times so he shouldn't be too surprised. 'Mummy?' Logan said hesitantly as River put him down. While the woman sounded like his mother, she looked nothing like her. Logan's mother has waist length hair, not short hair. Her skin was also plastered with make-up, not clear with Will lines and an Albionite face tattoo. His mother also wore long dresses that covered her skin, no matter the temperature. This woman was wearing short pants and a corset - Amy left her coat behind seeing as it was too hot to wear it. As she got closer, he looked into her eyes. Eyes that were exactly like his mothers and it was then that he realised that the strange woman was in fact his mother. Knowing this, he ran straight into her open arms and hugged her tightly as she carried him back to the others. 'Mummy, why do you look so different?' Logan mumbled into her neck. 'This is the way I use to look before I became queen,' answered Amy. 'I use to wear this outfit, plus a highwayman's hat and coat, when I was out questing.' 'Questing? Were you an adventurer like Lionheart?' 'Sweet heart, I am Lionheart.' Amy said gently. Logan gasped at his mother before turning to look at his father. If Lionheart, Strength and Will were here, and Strength called River "Reaver", who was once a pirate...that meant... 'You're the Hero of Skill, aren't you, Daddy?' 'Yes.' 'Why didn't you tell me?' 'While you didn't know we believed you to be safe,' explained Amy. 'If nobody knew that you were Lionheart's son, then nobody could seek revenge on you. We were wrong. Do you understand why we did it?' Logan nodded. 'However, you still can't tell anyone who I am.' River said firmly. 'I still have to keep up Reaver's social image. It's a good way to find out information in Albion,' he added, catching sight of the looks Hammer and Garth were giving him. 'I guess it means I can't whack him with my hammer seeing as he's your husband,' sighed Hammer somewhat wistfully. 'No, you can't.' Amy said firmly. 'Can I at least send a blade or something through his leg as pay back?' asked a hopeful Garth. 'No. You can't harm him in any way - what do you mean "pay him back"?' Amy asked, eyes narrowing slightly. 'He shot me in the leg and then fled from Samarkand.' 'RIVER!' exclaimed Amy. 'What? Oh come on! He's exaggerating! I only nipped him and I didn't flee!' said a defensive River. 'You shot him!' 'Nipped him.' Amy glared at him before walking over to Kalin for Logan to introduce them. One week later, Logan, Amy and a hooded River walked through the streets of Bowerstone, heading back to the castle. Many people came up to the welcoming Logan back and offering them their services. After that day, Logan would join his father on his trips to Bloodstone, while Amy continued to go out adventuring and helping people once more, despite River's wishes for her to take it easy seeing as she still had the Crawlers' poison in her system. Aurora became close allies with Albion, and Kalin and Logan remained in close contact. Everything was back to normal in Albion and everyone believed that the peace was to remain. How wrong they were. After all, it wasn't an end, but rather a beginning. Next chapter: Written: 17 November 2011